Kinmen boasts as many as 74 historic sites. The weathered look of its old buildings comes from having endured "wartime years"

▲ The "Huangcuo Hong Family Ancestral House," newly designated as a historic site. These old buildings all show a sense of aging refined by time. (Photo /Lienchiang Impressions)

Reporter Lin Yuling / Comprehensive Report

The Kinmen County Cultural Affairs Bureau recently passed the "105th Annual Kinmen Historic Sites Designation and Historical Architecture Registration Review Meeting" to add 12 new historic sites,bringing the total number of historic sites to 74, the highest density in the country,ranking fourth nationwide, after Taipei City, Tainan City, and New Taipei City. The blog "Wild Geese Flying South" describes how these old houses, refined by time, exude a sense of weathering that comes from the "wartime years" not experienced on Taiwan’s main island.

▲“The "Shanglin Lin Pingyang Mansion," exquisite yet grand in scale, is hard to believe has been overlooked in many historical documents. (Photo /Wild Geese Flying South)

▲ %冀鹈徘噌?椴┑卵舐エ兰亭别墅). (Photo /Wild Geese Flying South)

Three structures were upgraded from "historical architecture" to historic sites: the Lieyu Western Lin Tianlai Western-style House, Houfenggang Hong Xu Ancestral House, and Qingyu Zhang Brothers Western-style House. Following their designation, they were also removed from the historical architecture list.

Nine structures were designated as historic sites from "traditional architecture," including: Luocuo Luo Brothers Western-style House, Qingqi He Bao Ancestral House (Lanting Villa), Shanglin Lin Xinping Western-style House, Huangcuo Hong Family Ancestral House, Anqian Hong Weiweng Ancient Tomb, Houfenggang Hong Yun and Hong bF Brothers Ancestral House, Caidian Su Yinbin Ancestral House and Tomb, Wukeng Zheng Guhuai Western-style House, and Qingyu Qianjia Zhang Family Ancestral Hall.

With the addition of 12 new historic sites, Kinmen now has a total of 74 national and county-designated historic sites, the highest density in the country and ranking fourth in total number nationally, after Taipei City, Tainan City, and New Taipei City.

▲ The Lieyu Western "Lin Tianlai Western-style House" represents Sino-Western fusion architecture influenced by foreign styles. (Photo /Wild Geese Flying South)

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